Portable Perfection

How does one define perfection as far as games go? Maybe one should look at a game like this. You'd be hard-pressed to find a valid argument against it, if it isn't perfection, it has to be pretty darn close.

First off, to this day I'm still playing this game to this day and enjoying it as much as if not nearly as much as I did when I first played it. Any fan of the Metroid series can not afford this amazing game. Then again there might be people that may have been somewhat familiar with the series, but this would be a great game to get hooked into the series as it did for me. Sure, Nintendo has released since then two games for Gamecube as well as for the DS. But this game goes back to what this series' roots are in the amazing game play of a side scrolling adventure. I'd go so far as to say this was and still is the best Metroid game released in the series but of course that's an arguable point but consider the time it came out.

It had been a long time since we'd seen a Metroid game when Fusion came out. The last game was Super Metroid for Super NES, which was released close to a decade prior. It was the third in the series after the original NES version in 1986 and its sequel, Return of Samus, which appeared on Game Boy in 1991.

Enter the long awaited fourth entry of the series appearing on GBA and the results were stellar. Coming onto this new platform meant new technology given to make this great game that much better, and making it the best looking game of the series, even more so than the Super NES game. The great gameplay you'd come to expect is here along with new additions that only added to the greatness. Add to that the amazing sound and music contained with this game and you get a great sensory experience that does nothing but add to the experience and truly get involved in this game, with a mix of tracks you may remember from previous Metroids, with of course some great original tunes that always seemed appropriate for the moment of the game.

That said, that may have been enough to make the game a solid entry to the series, but that was only the beginning. Taking advantage of the hardware and advancement of technology present, there are some incredible new aspects to this game never really seen in prior games. First off, from the get go is a involving storyline that keeps you on edge and drives you forward anticipating the next plot twists (of which there are some nice ones) and give the game a feel of humanity to it, a purpose you could say of getting to the games ultimate goal. When saving the universe isn't enough. And one of the most intriguing villains a game of the caliber will unveil, that makes itself present from the beginning and can strike fear and spell doom for anyone who, though it can be faced early, is foolish enough to engage it head-on.

Also added to the mix of new elements are the rooms and hatches concept. Instead of hatches being passable depending on the type of weaponry you have, there are different security levels that unlock (and in one case re-lock) as the game's plot unfolds, which for really the first time is a major element of the experience with a Metroid game. You will have the usual saving and recharging rooms as you may come to expect in this generation of battery backed data, but a big new element is the navigation rooms which will actually guide you towards your next goal, which though may make things linear in the beginning, it becomes very less so later on.

Metroid: Fused

...with some SERIOUS ACTION. After being attacked by "X parasites", mysterious lifeforms that The Metroid originally preyed upon, Samus Aran's power suit is critically debilitated by surgical removal of many of its parts due to corruption. Not only that but our heroine's life is saved just barely by a vaccine, synthesized out of Metroid tissue, no less...

...Now Samus Aran has Metroid DNA in her system.

But that is not the worst of her problems, in an ironic twist, the corrupted power suit parts are housing an X parasite that is developing in our heroine's image, minus the humanity...

Prepare to meet "Samus Aran X"; (aka: SA-X), our heroine's own Metroid-exterminating tool turned against her. Now, with the suit's most powerful arsenal hunting her down, she must unravel the conspiracy that is brewing in a space station and stop the X plague from spreading all over the galaxy.


It is the opinion of this fan that, mechanics-wise, Metroid Fusion could easily be considered the most polished of the 2D Metroid games ("Other M" is not being considered because I haven't experienced the game yet). The game has an undeniably 'hardcore feel' to it due to its numerous, intense boss battles and overall fast pace. As a consequence (and relief) Metroid Fusion plays the fastest as well.

Speaking of speed, all the stiffness inherent to Super Metroid's (the prequel) movements is gone, from the running to Samus's 'floaty' jumping to weapon switching. As an additional plus, Samus starts off with a set of new helpful abilities like hanging from ledges, going into morph-ball mode once she climbs up into a shaft and the ability to start a sommersault at any point during a vertical jump. All of this with a streamlined, simplified control scheme that works flawlessly, especially considering your hands will be full with all the tasks at hand.

Graphics and effects are detailed, colorful and well animated. Music is a little campier than usual but fits nicely with the visuals and will get your blood pumping every time you face one of the many bizarre and grotesque bosses.

Unfortunately, the series' hallmark, exploration, has diminished a bit and some narrative (in the form of cutscenes and briefing) has been added for the sake of direction. However, these things do not detract from the overall experience (plus, it should be a godsend for newcomers to the series).


Finally, if you don't mind japanese versions hunt one down since it has got more content: Difficulty settings and additional secret endings.

Don't miss out on this crown jewel of the GameBoy Advance. See You Next Mission!


RECOMMENDATION: If you like this series, you must play the original METROID PRIME (available on Gamecube and Wii). The series' finest!

Metroid Fusion Review

This is a great game in the Metroid series of games. This game is a nice throw back to Super Metroid for Super Nintendo, in terms of gameplay. For those who remember Super Metroid, this is a direct sequel to it. This time around, you encounter an enemy completely different from the previous titles called "Parasite X". Right off the bat, your not only attacked, but infected by them, and the only way your saved is by a scientists using an experimental "Metroid Vaccine" on you. This dramatically changes the dynamic of the game and you are forced to work around this throughout the game. The biggest change to this game is your not just fighting a new enemy, the new enemy is actively trying to kill you. During the course of the game, your being sabotaged or hunted for, by a superior form of the "Parasite X" known as "SA-X". It's essentially a clone of you, at full strength from the previous Metroid and for the majority of the game, you'll need to run and hide, just to stay alive as it hunting for you, all the way to the very end. This is very fun action-adventure style game that fans will love and those new to the series will enjoy as well. It's obvious that I'm a fan of this series, based on the review, and I'd recommend trying this game if your looking for something different from the average platformer or RPG.

Metroid Fusion is fun but far from the best.

Metroid Fusion is the first Metroid for the GBA. In this game Samus gets infected by the evil X parasite and is saved from a vaccine that is made from the Metroid hatcling. However her looks and powers have changed. When a call from a nearby space station is picked up Samus is sent with a ship with an AI Commanding Officer. It seems the X parasites can become whatever they infect and they have taken over the station, and to make matters worse one of them has become her power suit at full power. Samus does have one advantage being a metroid she can now suck up the evil parasties and gain power from them.

Metroid Fusion is a fun game but not the best Metroid game it goes away from it's standard formula and is a bit more linear. Also the challenge spikes.

If you own a gamecube and have the link cable use it to unlock a new suit in metroid prime has well has the orginal metroid.

2D Metroid is the best

To some people it may seem like making video games is very counter-intuitive. You might have expected that a 2D game would be the very beginning of the series while a 3D Metroid(Prime) should be the ending of the series. This is not the case however. In the chronology of the Metroid universe, Metroid Fusion is at the very end of the time line in the series. Granted, I'm not sure where Metroid: Other M fits in yet .

Metroid fusion tells the story of Samus just after she gets infected with a strange organism that corrupts her power suit. She has to undergo a strange type of surgery that leaves her vulnerable and having to acquire most of her powers all over again.

The best part of this game is it requires you to utilize some thinking and intuition to defeat the many, MANY bosses in this game. There are a ton of them too, at least 10-15 boss battles, which is unheard of for a Metroid game. That keeps the game interesting and always a lot of fun to play. The only downside to Metroid fusion is that on occasion you may end up lost and may need to consult an online strategy guide in order to find out where to go next. Sometimes it requires a lot of trial and error, which can lead to frustration. There's also one boss battle with a certain giant demonic spider that if you don't handle just right, you'll end up having to go a LONG ways just to get back to him and beat him again. During the course of events that take place right before the battle, there are no save points, so you had better be prepared to know how to handle this boss fight the first time, otherwise you'll end up experiencing a phenomenon similar to the one experienced by Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.

This however despite any flaws is still an excellent game. Metroid fusion is one of the rare examples of a game that gets more enjoyable the more times you beat the game. It's certainly not an easy game by any means. It is plenty challenging and is a very satisfying experience.